MTC Week 1

August 12, 2015

The MTC is great! I know it is the way the Lord teaches His missionaries. The first few days are  very overwhelming and humbling. After you dropped me off they gave me my name tag, my books (which weighed like 15 pounds, haha, go Norwegian!) and then they took me to my classroom where I met my district. There are two districts going to Norway which equals a total of 14 missionaries!! All the Nords are awesome. My district consists of Eldste Witt, Eldste Mcintire, Eldste Hailes, Eldste Miller, Eldste Stephens, and Eldste Larson. They are all great and we get along well. My companion is Eldste Mcintire. He is from Orem. He loves the Gospel and has a strong testimony. He also had a goal, which he set in the fall last year, to go to the temple regularly before his Mission. The Temple is the House of the Lord. I'm excited to go more while here in the MTC. During the first weekend in the MTC they really try to help you understand and internalize your purpose as a missionary. We are to invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored Gospel. Love and service are essential to Missionary Work. We are to love the Lord, and love others with all our heart. And to serve them with all our heart, might, mind and strength. The Devotionals here are amazing. We have special devotionals every Sunday and Tuesday. I love Sundays in the MTC. They are a day of rest for missionaries even though we go to meetings all day. It's awesome. The speaker on Sunday was Richard i. Heaton, the MTC Administrative Director. He talked about the importance of the Sabbath Day. He said the more we love, appreciate, and keep the Sabbath day holy, the more we will be able to create an environment, when teaching, where the spirit can testify of the importance of Church attendance and Sunday Worship. I believe this principle can apply to all Gospel doctrines and principles as we teach them. We also get to watch a movie Sunday night after devotional. I watched "The Character of Christ" by Elder Bednar. It is SO amazing. It really opens up your perspective. There would have been no Atoning Sacrifice without the Character of Christ. 

Christ loves us so much and is so selfless. Christ is the perfect example and we as missionaries are his Servants. When doubts, trials, and discouragement come our way we need to turn outward with love. The Natural man turns inward when trials come but Christ turns outward with love and service. That principle has become more personal and real to me while at the MTC.  Tuesday night devotional was Elder C. Scott Grow from the 70. He taught on D&C chapter 4 verse 2. The spirit was very strong as he taught. 

Now, Language study. The language is coming along good. Our teachers almost only speak Norwegian to us in class, even on the first day. We learned how to pray on day 2 and taught our first investigator on day 3. I've only been here a week and we have taught 4 lessons in Norwegian already. It's so cool! The gift of tongues is real. Anyway, so life is good. MY schedule consists of getting up at 6:30, eating breakfast, personal study, gym time, get ready for morning classroom instruction, lunch, afternoon classroom instruction, dinner, and evening classroom instruction. Lot's of studying but it's good. I always feel so full of the spirit by the end of the day and it's the best feeling ever.

I love you all. Thanks for the letters, emails, and support. I wouldn't be here without you. I also very much appreciate the advice. The MTC can be overwhelming, and challenging at times but all you can do is smile and press forward. Love you,

Ha det bra,

Eldste Witt